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Three UCLA Players Selected in WPS Draft

PHILADELPHIA - Led by second overall pick Lauren Cheney, a total of three UCLA players were selected in the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) Draft on Friday afternoon at the Philadelphia Convention Center.

Cheney, a four-time first-team All-American and UCLA's all-time leading scorer with 173 points, was drafted as the No. 2 overall pick by the Boston Breakers. North Carolina's Tobin Heath was chosen as the top pick overall by the Atlanta Beat.

The two other UCLA players drafted on Friday were Kristina Larsen and Lauren Wilmoth. Larsen was chosen with the 6th pick of the second round by St. Louis Athletica, while Wilmoth was the third pick of the seventh round by the FC Gold Pride.

Canadian Kara Lang, who was listed as one of the draft's top 5 midfielders according to a media poll leading up to the draft, was not chosen by a team on Friday. She is still recovering from an ACL injury suffered during UCLA's regular season. She also falls under the league's international rules, where teams have a roster limit of five foreign players. Once healthy, she will likely be invited to try out for teams that have not already met their international player limit.

'I'm delighted for our players and it is definitely a proud day for the Bruins,' said UCLA head coach Jillian Ellis. 'To have an opportunity to continue playing at the next level is exciting, and we wish our players the very best. There is also no doubt in my mind that Kara Lang will be an impact player in this league once she is back at full strength. She is currently going through the process of rehabilitation and I know that many teams are going to be looking to give her an opportunity.'

With three players chosen on Friday, UCLA trailed just North Carolina (7) and Santa Clara (5) in total number of draftees.